WILMINGTON, NC (STARNEWSONLINE.COM) — William "Paco" Strickland, a flamenco guitarist and a familiar presence in Wilmington night spots and on local airwaves for more than two decades, died Monday night at his home after a long battle with bone marrow cancer. He was 60.

"Paco quietly and peacefully passed while sleeping next to me," wrote his wife, Connie Nelson, in a Facebook posting Tuesday afternoon. "He wants you to remember him playing his guitar and surfing Big Blue."